Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-10-20


them up frequently re-wrote them q
score of times before he called them
| finished.
The paper in the United States hav-
ing the shortest name is the Bee,
German weekly published in Milwau-
kee.
Not plain enough yet, sometimes in
classes, pupils ask teachers certain
questions and the teacher turns around
and asks the question to the pupil. OF
course in such case the pupil is gen.
orally inclined to think that the teacher
really doesn't know how to answer the
question himself
Trust myself is philosophers ad-
vice, and good advice it is, too. May
be no one else will. and an American
citizen can not be happy unless he gets
trusted somewhere.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
The great need in our common
schools to-day is a reference library and
in Importance it is second only TO CON-
petant Instructor Since my acquaintance
with schools and school work l have
observed growing demand for refer
ence books at school and up to the
present, this demand has not in most
districts been met and in too many
the demand has not even been
recognized. The necessity for these
libraries is attested by the inquisitive
minds of the pupils as they go about
in search of the necessary informa-
ton bearing upon their school
work. The backward reluctant youth
now bordering the social cir
cles, gives evidence of this necessity
and even within the social circles
the want of conversational powers,
the forerunner of frivolity, results
from lack of general information in
the main. In this "age of cheap books"
it certainlyreaects the interest taken in
education to have school without a
reference library. Certainly there is no
reason for not having choice books of
reference in every school in the land.
dare assert that there is not single
district in this county but could own
such library if they so desired.
TOO poor to vote taxes for books" is
the one common alarming cry heard
above the earnest pleadings of teachers
and pupils in behalf of the districts du-
ty in this respect. To poor 10 vote
taxes for absolute necessitiess Then
why freely give to luxuryP Certainly
there is not a school district in the
county in which there is not enough
money expended for tobacco alone to
buy sufficient number of books to fill
the school house so full that the teach
er could not enter the building. Many
districts have pupils In their schools
with sufficient text books to be taught
only IN the three r. as they are called
and by the pursuance of these studies
they are expected by parents to be ed
ucated One need not stop long for
reflection to conclude that as the pup
lis have brought before them many sub
jects of which they must acknowledge
total ignorance, it is discouraging to
them not to have in their possession
some literary work treating of these
subjects yet presume this damper on
the students mind is, in part, removed
by that all-wise, enthusiastic, encour-
aging and comforting remark ''You
have far better chance for an educa- |
ton than l had when l was a boy, l |
never had library to go to-" That
does child so much good it is so en-
couraging to him and so stimulating to
him that l wonder he does not soar |
away to the height of fame, at once, to
be born upon the fiippant wings of pop
ularity for ever. Again the statement
is often heard 1--WE have bought maps
charts and globes and the teacher new
er uses them or very seldom" "Noth-
ing but money thrown away to buy
such things. A teacher is wise enough
to use only such apparatus as is
helpful TO him in his work and if he
does not use the charts it 10 because
they cannot be used to advantage. As |
for purchasing costly globes | find a
very cheap 25c one as good if not bet
ter than n costly large one that is al
ways in the way, Charts are used oc-
casionally, globes about three times a
year. but good reference book
is in constant use through the
school year. A text book treating of
paticular branch of learning is not ex-
haustiye, and the author makes use of
a great many terms unexplained and
underlined. The pupil in preparing his
lesson finds these terms and has to ham
die them; and unless he has access to
reference books in which the terms are
teacher is not an ency-
is he going to compre-
bend the subject 1t matters not how
DESTROYS he may be of getting light up
on darkened subject. he is deprived of
t.and in that he stumbles in darkness he
loses interest in the work of education.
When the mind is hungry for facts, it,
likethe stomach. gives one pain through
disappointment in receiving nourish-
ment, and is often think greatly weak
ened thereby. Having proven the i'm
portance Of libraries in schools. in hav-
to a few choice reference books
the faeultyof the school are taking steps
towards replenishing the chool.hbrary.
We have not sufficient books of reference
accessible to enable US to do the work